Limyaael, also known as Lightning on the Wave for her [[FanFic/ArcOfSacrifices online fiction]], was an English graduate student studying for her Ph.D. In 2003, she decided to express her views on fantasy literature in a rant entitled [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/30956.html Why I get impatient with clichéd fantasy]]. Since then, she has written more rants on her online journal.

Despite the name, Limyaael's rants are not just for fantasy writers. She also has covered topics that are not limited to fantasy, like dialogue and romance, as well as more general topics like plotting and characterization. One of the features of the journal format is that Limyaael’s commenters also have much to say, from additional facts to opposing viewpoints.

The Rants used to be posted on Website/LiveJournal, but Limyaael has moved to [=InsaneJournal=]. The Rants originally posted on LJ can still be accessed there, though.

Limyaael's Fantasy Rants are updated [[http://limyaael.insanejournal.com/ here]]. The archive of Rants can be accessed [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/tag/ here]], and [[http://limyaael.insanejournal.com/480442.html#cutid1 here]].

A repository was created [[http://curiosityquills.com/limyaael/ here]] to collect the scattered articles, but take note that the comments (not found here) are an important part of the original message.

Limyaael's rants were [[ScheduleSlip scarcely updated]] for a while starting around April 2008. In [[http://www.journalfen.net/users/limyaael/65402.html this post]] she explained the reasons, and the Rants were not updated until she had more free time. They started back up for a little while, then stopped again in May 2010.

It was mentioned early in 2013, on her Facebook Fan page, that she is doing well and that whilst she does appreciate her fans and their support over the years, she has put her online literary life behind her.

-----!!Tropes that have been mentioned or discussed on the side while ranting about any of the above topics:* AlternateHistory: She gave a couple small ideas in [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/383804.html "More things Limyaael thinks would be really cool,"]] with some questions to ponder when answering "what if the South had won [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar the Civil War]]?"** She also compares badly-made AlternateHistory to "[[ConLang relexification]]."* ChekhovsGun: Though she didn't use the term, her rant on subtle foreshadowing favors elements that aren't supposed to be noticed the first time around.* {{Cliffhanger}}: A large part of the [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/353138.html transition rant]].* ConvectionSchmonvection: Limyaael's rant on dragons notes that if your dragon can breathe fire hot enough to ''melt solid rock'', it's probably going to do more than just "make a hero's jacket smolder" in the process.* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Limyaael's rant on D&D gameplay mechanics has her claiming that while many of those rules made perfect sense ''in a gaming environment'', they don't translate well into a narrative environment, if at all.* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Almost any rant about elves, demi-humans, non-humans, etc. will invoke a comparison of the non-human species being in complete and utter harmony with their environment while the humans are hell-bent on destroying it.* HotSkittyOnWailordAction[=/=]ShapeshiftingSquick: During her rant about half-human heroes, she says that as much as an author wants to just say "[[BellisariosMaxim don't think about it]]" when asked how the "mechanics" of it work, the author is the one person who '''should''' be putting more thought into it than anyone else.* LanguageEqualsThought: In her rants on conlangs, she makes her opinion clear: language ''influences'' thought, [[SubvertedTrope but doesn't equal thought]].* {{Magitek}}: Her [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/413306.html limitations on magic rant]] says that this would be the natural consequence in a setting with cheap magic. "If the world has magic, why isn't it that world's technology?"* NoPeriodsPeriod: When discussing full-moon-bound werewolves, Limyaael notes that even a woman's monthly period gets better care than full moon werewolf angst. Assuming the author even bothered to think about that, of course.* RealWomenDontWearDresses: {{Discussed|Trope}} and ultimately averted. [[invoked]]-->I prefer strong female characters anyway, by which I mean “female characters who have their own minds and do not spend the whole time obsessed with men, either pining for them or putting them down.” They don’t have to be warriors for me to empathize with them. They can certainly be mothers who love their children fiercely. The most important relationships in their lives can certainly be with men.* SaidBookism: Discussed in the third grammar rant above. She especially has a problem with tags that don't make sense, like "smiled" and "nodded".* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: The [[http://limyaael.livejournal.com/413306.html limitations on magic rant]] explains what it ''really'' takes for magic to be called scientific.* TailSlap: When discussing dragons, Limyaael notes that the whip of a crocodile's tail packs enough brute force to kill an average human being. So what would a dragon's tail do? "Probably ''not'' cause light wounds."* ThirdActMisunderstanding: She tends to call it the "Great Misunderstanding Plot."* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: During her rant about "telcoms", Limyaael wonders how a character can just waltz into a town with a telepathic wolf/dragon/whatever by their side and ''nobody'' even bats an eye at it, much less try to chase it out of town or kill it. ''Especially'' when the creature being a telepathic companion is kept secret, and "the hunters have no reason ''not'' to shoot a dangerous beast who shows little fear of humans and is lurking around the village."

----

!!Tropes that manifest in the rants themselves* BerserkButton: Nothing will get Limyaael into rant mode faster than lazy and unoriginal writing.* CausticCritic: [[DownplayedTrope Not as much as some other examples of the trope]] (it would probably be worse if it was, given that writing advice is the primary goal here), but definitely there.* {{Deconstruction}}: Limyaael goes into a lot of detail about the reasons ''why'' she despises certain tropes, such as what kind of logical consequences and implications a trope should have on its setting (but doesn't).* {{Dissimile}}/{{NOT}}: Usually in the form of: "That's totally original. Only not."* DoubleEntendre: This was to be expected in her rant about sex scenes; Limyaael even [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on it throughout the post.* GenreSavvy: Very.* LemonyNarrator: Limyaael has a very breezy and snarky writing style.* {{Portmanteau}}: "Telcoms", for "telepathic companion".* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: She's on the cynical end.* TakeThat: See above.* ThirdPersonPerson* TropesAreTools: Limyaael occasionally admits that some concepts are actually quite intriguing and can provide a lot of possibilities for good fiction ... it's just the poor ''execution'' of them by authors everywhere that makes them so cliché.----